GOLDEN, Colo. – The #20-ranked and top-seeded Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team used its defense on Tuesday night to get a 64-31 win against eighth-seeded Western Colorado in the first round of the RMAC Tournament.
 
Sammy Van Sickle and Shelby Nichols led the defensive charge on paper. Van Sickle produced five steals in just 21 minutes on the court while also adding five points, five rebounds and four assists. Nichols' resume featured two blocks along with eight points, eight rebounds and one assist. Quincey Baum also blocked two shots while Denali Pinto, Megan Van de Graaf and Josephine Howery notched two steals each. Pinto's 10 points were tops in the game on offense, and she rounded out her night with five rebounds. Liz Holter joined Nichols with eight points of her own. Also notable were three assists from Ashley Steffeck.
 
The victory pushes Mines (25-4) into the RMAC Tournament semifinals on Friday at 5:30 p.m. inside Lockridge Arena to face the winner of the quarterfinal contest between CSU Pueblo and Black Hills State. Mines will also host Friday's second semifinal at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday's championship game at 6 p.m. The loss closes the season for Western Colorado (11-16). The Orediggers earned the win by shooting nearly 40 percent from the floor while forcing 26 Mountaineer turnovers on 14 steals. That production gave Mines 34 points off turnovers as the home team also limited WCU to 21-percent shooting from the field. The Orediggers also benefitted from a 43-25 advantage on the glass which helped offset 20 turnovers of their own.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
It should come as no surprise that Tuesday's game brought an Oredigger-heavy brand of basketball. Defensive flavoring was strong – like garlic – with more steals and turnovers than points through the first three minutes of game action. Van Sickle's mid-range jumper served as the only points until the 6:58 mark when Mines quickly poured in five more on a Pinto three-pointer and Steffeck's driving layup off Van Sickle's dime. That forced a Mountaineer timeout and the visitors bounced back with seven points in the last seven minutes. By the end of the opening frame, the Orediggers owned a 12-7 lead which was underscored by six steals resulting in nine turnovers by WCU.
 
What followed the first period turned into one giant run for Mines. The second quarter was a standalone 21-1 run by itself fueled by McKale Grant's six points while the Orediggers held WCU without a field goal for the full 10 minutes. That performance pushed the home team into halftime touting a 35-8 advantage. Even though the Mountaineers managed to up their second-half production to 23 points over the last 20 minutes of action, it was far too little too late. Mines added 16 more points in the third quarter thanks to a combined 14 off the hands of Holter, Pinto and Nichols. The Orediggers hit cruise control in the final period, finding their biggest lead of the game at 61-25 with 5:05 to play. Western Colorado found a 6-4 edge down the stretch to make the final tally.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines now owns four straight wins over Western Colorado as the Orediggers improved to 29-38 in the all-time series against WCU.
- The Orediggers haven't lost to the Mountaineers since Jan. 18, 2020.
- Mines' win on Tuesday marked its third consecutive victory in the RMAC Tournament quarterfinal round.
- Since the 2019-20 season, the Orediggers are 4-1 in the conference postseason.
- Western Colorado scored just one point in the second quarter on Tuesday night. It marked Mines' second-best quarter of the season after it held New Mexico Highlands scoreless in the fourth quarter of their meeting on Jan. 26.
- Van Sickle's five points against WCU put her over 700 points for her career.
- Courtney Stanton's six points moved her to #10 on Mines' all-time scoring list with 1,075 in her career. She surpassed former teammate Emily Bailey (2014-18).
- Two blocks apiece for Baum and Nichols marked career bests for both players. Nichols also notched her personal best with four free throws.
- Grant tied her career high by sinking four free throws. She last made four from the charity stripe against Dixie State on Jan. 4, 2020.
- Every Mines player to appear on Tuesday night scored at least two points.
- Head Coach Brittany Simpson is now 174-105 in her 10th season with Mines.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines will face the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between CSU Pueblo and Black Hills State. That semifinal showdown will tip off at 5:30 p.m. on Friday inside Lockridge Arena. The second semifinal between Colorado Mesa and MSU Denver will follow at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased on the RMAC's website. Live stats and video will be linked at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines women's basketball on Twitter and Instagram at @MinesWBB. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.